Every boy has a hero. For some they are sports figures, for others musicians. Mine, for the greater part of my young life was Jim Henson. The man behind “Sesame Street”, “The Muppet Show”, “The Dark Crystal”, “Labyrinth” and a myriad of other brilliant and magical creations. I longed for the day I might be able to work for him in some form or another. Unfortunately, it was not to be as Henson passed away in 1990, way too early, way too young. One of the lesser known of his creations was a short-lived series called “The Storyteller.” Originally dreamed up by his daughter, Lisa, Henson worked with her to turn the concept into a reality. The idea was to take ancient stories, which are not so well known and re-create them in a visually stunning format. They paid even more attention to keeping the original stories intact. Henson utilized Anthony Minghella’s talents as a writer to pen the episodes, and though only nine were produced, they stand as a testament to the brilliance that was Jim Henson.

Four episodes of the “The Storyteller” aired on NBC in 1987, while the following five aired in 1989 as part of “The Jim Henson Hour ” (which is another show deeply in need of a DVD release). The episodes were each introduced by the Storyteller of the title, who was portrayed by John Hurt. His sidekick was a dog, who was voiced by Brian Henson. Several of the shows went on to win numerous awards, and deservedly so.

Recently, Sony / Columbia Tristar released all nine episodes of “The Storyteller” on DVD, and I couldn’t have been happier. Many of these episodes I had missed during their original airings, so catching them on disc was a real treat. This week, they are following up that disc with a new one that features the four episodes of the subsequent
“The Storyteller: Greek Myths.”

This newer version had a few changes, but it still carried with it the magic and the marvel of the original. Here, the Storyteller is played by Michael Gambon, and the character is quite different. Where Hurt was quiet and unassuming, Gambon seems much more self-assured and direct. He still tells his tales to his faithful dog, who is thankfully still voiced by Brian Henson. I will say I preferred Hurt’s take on the character, but that is not to discount Gambon’s performance.

I loved all four stories presented in this new series, but my favorite was without a doubt, “Orpheus and Eurydice.” If you’re not familiar with Greek Mythology, Orpheus was a great musician whose talent was so great, that it released the wood nymph Eurydice and allowed them to fall in love. Sadly, however Eurydice ends up dying from a snake bite. Not willing to give up his one true love, Orpheus travels to Hades in order to free her from the Underworld. She is allowed to leave, but there is a condition…

The rest of the tales are still every bit as good, but overall the series suffered a little bit writing-wise because of the absence of Minghella. Beyond that, the sets and production value were every bit as impressive and I highly recommend this set to everyone.

Over the years, too many of Jim Henson’s works have gone by the wayside. The more that are released into the DVD market, the more people that can be introduced to works they might otherwise have missed. I’d like to see consumers buy both of these discs for a couple of reasons. One, the stories are so good, so well created that they should be seen by as many people as possible. The other is that if enough of the DVDs are purchased, it might send a message to anyone holding the rights to Henson’s work that it does have an audience. Perhaps they will see fit to continue releasing other portions of his work so that they may all be enjoyed for generations to come.

Episodes:
Daedalus and Icarus
Orpheus and Eurydice
Perseus and the Gorgon
Theseus and the Minotaur

Extras: None
Specifications: Full Sscreen, English Stereo
Studio: Sony / Columbia Tristar
Release Date: 9/7/2004
Region 1
MPAA Rating: NR
Website

We'll give Jim Henson's The Storyteller: The Greek Myths a B.